Portable shoeshine heel clamp



June 29, 1965 w. c. CHALBERG 3,191,209

PORTABLE SHOESHINE HEEL CLAMP Filed April 1, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.2

INVENTOR. W IL MOT C. CHALBERG J1me 1965 w. c. CHALBERG 3,191,209

PORTABLE SHOESHINE HEEL CLAMP Filed April 1, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WW .mnumnmw 4 INVENTOR WILMOT C. CHALBERG United States Patent 3,191,209 PORTABLE SHUESHINE IEEL CLAMP Wilmot C. Chalberg, 4025 Cherokee Ave, Apt. J, San Diego, Calif.

Filed Apr. 1, 1963, Ser. No. 269,529 4 Claims. ((11. 15267) The present invention relates generally to a portable shoeshine heel clamp and more particularly to a clampwhich can be readily adjusted to accommodate a wide variety of shoe sizes.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved shoeshine heel clamp which can be adjustably mounted on any convenient supporting surface such as a table or bench.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved shoeshine heel cl-amp having incorporated therein a novel means for effectively supporting the shoe during the polishing operation.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an improved portable shoeshine heel clamp which effectively supports the shoe while gripping the outside edge of the heel thereby permitting a shoe tree to remain in place within the shoe during the polishing operation.

Finally it is an object to provide a portable shoeshine heel clamp of the aforementioned character which is simple and convenient to use and which will give generally eflicient and durable service.

With these and other objects definitely in view, this invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions, as will be hereinafter fully described in the specification, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of my improved heel clamp in assembled position prior to placement on a support.

FIGURE 2 is a view of the clamp in position on a support with a shoe in position in the heel clamping member.

FIGURE 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 and FIGURE 4 is a view showing the heel clamp adjusted for a narrow heel.

My improved shoeshine heel clamp, shown in assembled relationship in FIGURE 1, consists of two separate components, a heel clamping base member indicated generally by the reference numeral 19 and an adjustable clamping means indicated generally by the reference numeral 40.

The heel clamping portion .10 of the assembly includes an elongated base member 12 having upstanding flanges 14 and 16 on opposite ends thereof. Flange 16 is provided on the inner face thereof with a reinforcing boss 18. An adjustable jaw or abutment member 20 is rotatably mounted on a screw threaded rod 22 which is threaded in a central bore in flange 16 for movement towards or away from fixed abutment 14 in the usual manner of an adjustable jaw clamp. Face 24 of adjustable jaw 20 may be roughened or otherwise treated in any well known manner to provide a non-skid surface thereon. Base member 12 is additionally provided with a thickened portion 26 adjacent fixed flange 14 the top plane surface '28 of which provides an extensive supporting surface the purpose of which will be hereinafter described. The upper surface of base member 12 is formed, adjacent the thickened portion 26, with a plurality of similar recesses 30 and 32 for cooperation with clarnping means 40 and specifically for selective reception of a fixed abutment 44 hereinafter described.

Means are provided to removably secure heel clamping member to any convenient supporting surface here 3,191,209 Patented June 29, 1965 ice shown diagrammatically as a horizontally extending member 34. The inclination of the surface is not material but for the purpose for which my improved clamp is intended i.e. polishing shoes, it is obvious that a horizontally extending surface w-ould be more desirable than one extending vertically, for example. To this end I provide a clamping means 40 which is essentially a C-clamp having an arm extending laterally from the body portion and co-planar with the fixed abutment of the Cclamp to provide means'for supporting the sole of a shoe as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 3 clamping means 40 includes a body portion 42 a fixed abutment 44 and a flange 46 to which is screw threaded a movable abutment 48 as is usual in C-clampstructure. Extending laterally from body portion 42 and generally co-planar with fixed abutment 44 is a shoe sole supporting inflexible arm portion 54 This portion 50 may be flared at its outer end if desired to provide a more stable support for a shoe supported thereon. Suitable reinforcing flange structure 52 may be applied to the body portion 42 and sole supporting portion 50 is desired.

Operation My improved heel clamp can be readily adapted to various heel widths. In FIGURE 1 I have shown abutment 44 of clamping means 40 engaged in recess 32 which is remote from flange 14 of heel clamp 10. This provides support for a wide heeled shoe 54. It should be noted also that a stable mounting of shoe 54 is provided by surface 28 of clamp portion 26 which is substantially coplanar with the upper surface of abutment 44.

FIGURE 4 shows my clamp adjusted for use with a narrow heel shoe 56. In this case abutment 44 would be positioned in recess 30.

While I have shown two recesses 30 and 32 to pro vide the necessary adjustment of sole supporting arm member 50 it is obvious that other means could be substituted therefore. For example a pin could be provided in the bottom surface of abutment 44 for engagement with a series of longitudinally spaced holes in the top surface of base member 12.

In use heel clamping member 10 is positioned on the surface to which it is to be clamped. Clamping means 40 is then positioned with abutment 44 in the desired recess and movable abutment actuated to clamp member 19 firmly to the supporting surface. The shoe to be polish-ed is then placed in position with one side of the heel against flange 14 and screw 22 actuated to force abutment 20 into tight frictional engagement with the other side of the heel thereby securing the heel firmly in clamp .10.

It will be readily apparent from the foregoing description that I have provided an improved shoeshine heel clamp that can be adjustably mounted on any convenient supporting surface. My improved clamp also makes it possible to grip the outside of the heel thereby preventirtilg :scuffing .or marring of the soft leather parts of the s cc.

It is understood that minor variations from the form of the invention disclosed herein may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of the claims, and that the specification and drawings are to be considered as merely illustrative rather than limiting.

I claim:

1. A portable shoeshine heel clamp adapted to be secured to a supporting surface comprising:

an elongated base member;

a fixed abutment on one end of said base member;

a movable abutment on the opposite end of said base,

said abutments providing an adjustable clamp for clamping a heel therebetween;

' an adjustable clamping means having a generally C- shaped clamping portion including a second fixed abutment and a second m'ov able abutment, saidbase rnember being adapted to be mounted between said 2. Means for removably fixing a shoe-upon a supporting member comprising:

an elongated base member having heel "clamping means thereon; and V I a'C-clamp having a direction and engaging said base membe-rintermedi ate the length thereof to clamp said base member on a supporting member", said C-clampihavingan infixed abutment extendingin one 15 fi exible shoe sole sugip-orting arm portion extending intheoppositedirectionr s -3.' Meansaccording'to claim 2 wherein said base member and fixed abutment are""'configured for interengage- ,ment in anti-slip relation. f t a 4, Means according to claim 2 wherein said base'member has a plurality ofvarecesses on a norm-ally upper sur- 'face thereof, and said fixed abutment is dimensioned to fit tightly and selectively into said recesses.

References Cited by theExaniiner UNITED STATES PATEN' I S FOREIGN PATENTS" 11000522 10/51 Frame r W WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PORTABLE SHOESHINE HEEL CLAMP ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A SUPPORTING SURFACE COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED BASE MEMBER; A FIXED ABUTMENT ON ONE END OF SAID BASE MEMBER; A MOVABLE ABUTMENT ON THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID BASE, SAID ABUTMENTS PROVIDING AN ADJUSTABLE CLAMP FOR CLAMPING A HEEL THEREBETWEEN; AN ADJUSTABLE CLAMPING MEANS HAVING A GENERALLY CSHAPED CLAMPING PORTION INCLUDING A SECOND FIXED ABUTMENT AND A SECOND MOVABLE ABUTMENT, SAID BASE MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID SECOND FIXED ABUTMENT AND SAID SECOND MOVABLE ABUTMENT; AND 